On Thursday, the Tour yanked Wei’s credential for the rest of the 2015 season, citing multiple violations of its media regulations which prohibit accredited reporters from sharing video images of players taken at tournament venues.

Since the Tour is acting as both judge and jury, Wei has no recourse for appeal. She is free to reapply for a credential at season’s end, and Tour chief marketing officer Ty Votaw says any such request will be “considered.” Votaw says it is rare for the Tour to revoke a credential, and that as a matter of course first-time offenders of any Tour policy are spoken-to and given a second chance. At this year’s Phoenix Open, Wei posted to her Instagram account a few short video clips of Tiger Woods practicing. At the Tour’s insistence, she removed the videos. Wei was warned that further violations of Tour policy could result in her credential being pulled. After the Periscope clips were posted, "We called her bluff,” says Votaw.

But what looks like a decisive loss for Wei has larger repercussions for both fans and reporters. Her harsh treatment at the hands of the Tour has provoked a fierce debate on social media—#freewei became a trendy Twitter hashtag—and her banishment may ultimately be remembered as the start of an accidental rebellion.

“I was trying to increase fan engagement and drum up interest in the event,” Wei said. “This is a much bigger issue than just a few video clips. What this is really about is the Tour needing to modernize its policies.”